Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-14
~ Weekly Intslligsnoer
0l)f fai,mster JntdiigerIer,
,.-rLAxcAsrER, APRIL II. 1857.


Ag NV AoMUSu kNGl8ug AelHol COutAAu0 /
y. .be the most interesting feature in the
business situation and the newspapers are
bully interviewing business men as to
lhek views and experiences under the
uhAnked conditions which have now been
sxperiepced for just one week. AS might
beaxpected, there is found to be great
diversity OF opinion as to the new rates
mnn1l consumers and shippers generally
boine pleased because Of reduction which |
eAey find In the rates given them, while
lAxge manufacture are aggrieyed at the
withdrawal of the specially low rates which
eAey have enjoyed by reason Of their i'm.
poetance to the railroads and the interest
these had In keeping them going.
The, EailEood companies, especially the
PnnUlvanis, either believe or pretend to
believe that the new Law restricts them 80
that they cannot give large shipper . bet
ter Iato than . small one, and coMpels
than 20 put the old tariff for the haul of
uutaai shipment upon the present carriage
Of . large one. The Pennsylvania railroad
pretend to be very much afraid
Of the prohibition made against undue dis
elimination, and seemingly have deter
mined to give It the strictest construction
TO keep on the safe side until the interpre-
eation Of the commission is received. L
Its however generally believed by thI
public that there IL further pahelons in
tens in their pclicy j purpose being to |
9af6 aU16jitl1yofvice cilivic bin obnoxious to the
business community by a strained and
rigid construction Of it. This purpose, if
entertained, is however defeated by the
manifest fact that the civil service law
under any fair Interpretation Of it does
not justify the pretended fears Of the
carving companies, or warrant their rates.
1t is obvious to every one, for instance,
that there is nothing in the law which for.
bids the issue of mileage tickets at reduced
rates free to the purchase Of everyone.
The bill has simply been made the pretext
for. q changed policy which is due to the
changed relations of the Pennsylvania and
Reading railroads, whose managers, from
enemies, have become friends, and have
agreed to unite in dropping two-cent mile
age rates. .., ...s....-....r. .-...-r -,r
Again, it is clear that there is nothing in
tho new law which affects local rates, or
which requires carrier even beyond the
state 70 charge q mileage rate for a short
haul proportionate to that on long haul
The Pennsylvania railroad can charge Ian.
caster the same price for haul from New
York that it charges Pittsburg or Chicago;
and it does come pretty near to this in It's
charges for carriage from the New Eng
hnd states. A gentleman who is engaged
in erecting Massachusetts granite monu,
ments tells Us that his present freight rate
to Philadelphia is twenty cents per hun
dred pounds, while to Lancaster, Carlisle
and the interior towns Of Southeastern
Penpsylvania it is just one cent more ;
ten days ago the rate was thirty-six cents
to Carlisle. r.-s'"'r .'~r'-'' "..' ..'
It ID impossible to see upon what basis
the calculation Of the present charges has
been made. 1t is certainly not on mileage
basis, as these rates show !; and as is further
shown by the rate on bar iron in car load
lots, of sixteen cents from Pittsburg TO Phil.
adeiphia and of nine cents from Lancaster.
The latter rate has been reduced, however,
within the week to six cents, and that TO
New York from Lancaster has also been
changed from thirteen and half to eleven
cents; the rate TO Baltimore being ten
cents.
These rates are an advance npon the
Old charges and necessarily need modiacs.
ton, There is no Justification whatever
for an increase in the charges for convey.
ING manufactured goods and raw materi.
an In carload rates on the Pennsylvania.
I0 charges ON local freight have admit
tedly yielded large profit. 1t declares
that its through freight is but eight per
cent OF Its total carriage. 1t has been car.
rying its through freight without profit, and
It necessarily follows that il the inter. state
commerce bill should cut OF all It's through
traffic it would not require an advance in
it, local rates to keep up its dividends.
But the new law can have no such effect
upon this railroads business, because II
has for years been its boast that it has
net done what the law now forbids it to do
namely to charge more for longer than fol
4 . shoetsr haul. ----. 90. .-
tn public will very carefully discrini
ngto between things that the law ant
things that the railroads are responsible
III. Tho commission will before yer,
lnnG put construction upon an!
doubtful points In the Law, which th
railroads will need to accept and sdap
Themselves to. There win no condemns
TIN Of the law follow the condemnation o
~ yates which the railroads make, through
Stupidity or malice, in seemingly seeking r
I chg The law.
Bpasm Of Sease. ,-.
The New York Tribune comments upon
~ spasm Of sehss which seems to have
e1iasd upon TIE bslligsrept Canadians, and
q VAieh appears 70 hare been induced solely
1v0 attack en ths policy Of the Domipion
I; 6Dmapt bY a. Niaieter OF Justice Nc
3 - Tkb entlsdnan y q akaap AWyer
~ hpae tnar& - high asd mighty
y 1Gno0o0Gl1, - = . el1ny and
~ .lHnnk - 49,.